Trimtab Vol. 18 No. 12

BFI Updates

"If success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do... HOW WOULD I BE? WHAT WOULD I DO?” -- Buckminster Fuller. Learn about the 10 winners of the Fuller Challenge over the past decade along with 2017’s finalists. See how their projects solve many problems and address many issues with a single intervention. Watch the 2017 Challenge video here.

BFI is excited to announce that Faith Flanigan has joined our staff as Operations Manager. Faith comes to BFI with deep experience in orchestrating and managing complex operations and the ability to mobilize all levels of an organization. She is a seasoned senior project manager, digital producer, and accounts manager skilled at creating harmony and balance in the workplace. She has worked in social justice and environmental nonprofits since she was a young activist with Greenpeace 24 years ago. She has served Global Footprint Network, the Breast Cancer Fund, GreenFestival, and Global Exchange, among others. "I am extremely grateful to be a part of such a compassionate and active community,” Faith writes. "Buckminster Fuller’s worked has helped to shape the way I view the world and I am excited to help steer this Spaceship to a place where all of humanity is fostered."

Join us as a full member of BFI today, and ride with us as we design a future that allows everyone to live at a higher standard of living than we can imagine possible. Click here and become a member. Together we’re building a better future! BFI is finding new ways to support and accelerate the work of the growing, global community that has gathered around the Fuller Challenge, our ten-year commitment to seeking out and attracting some of the most effective solutions to humanity’s greatest challenges. Now as we at BFI move into our next phase, the launch of our Spaceship Earth Initiatives in 2018, we will create new tools and experiences. This practical yet visionary network will enable all of us to learn from and collaborate effectively with one another, and to invite similarly practical and visionary thinkers, designers, community organizers, investors, and entrepreneurs to aid in its development to its greatest potential.

Trends + Perspectives

In a stunning declaration, The World Bank announced that it will respond to climate change by ending its financial support for all oil and gas extraction within two years. The Bank announced this bold step at the One Planet conference in Paris in mid-December 2017, which commemorated the two year anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement. The World Bank has historically lent $1 Billion a year to oil and gas developments globally. Read more here.

Over 800,000 Rohingya people have fled Myanmar and are resettling in Bangladesh, creating the largest and most densely populated refugee camp in the world. Most of these refugees have fled since August creating unsafe living conditions. This interactive media presentation tells the story of this migration through maps, satellite imagery, photographs and infographics.

Resources

“Chasing Coral” is a moving documentary about Earth’s coral reefs and the increase in bleaching events over the past few years due to warming ocean temperatures. The ocean absorbs 93% of heat trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. Without our oceans, the average air temperature would be 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The film features footage from more than 30 countries and provides detailed coverage of these fascinating and fragile ecosystems. Find a screening near you or stream it online.

Explorables is a fun site that collects tools and games for learning through play. It is curated by a group of artists, coders, and educators and includes over 90 resources for learning about a wide variety of subjects from physics to philosophy. The site also features tools for creating your own “explorable” explanations.

The Accelerator Selection Tool is a new resource to assist social entrepreneurs. The tool contains the most comprehensive list of accelerators, incubators, business plan competitions, and fellowship programs focused on positive impact in the world. "Did you know that it takes an entrepreneur an average of 60 hours to determine which accelerator programs to apply for? The Accelerator Selection Tool simplifies that process and increases the probability of accelerator application success." Check out the tool here.

Upcoming Events

Apply by February 18, 2018, to attend the Energy Lab that takes place in Sydney, Australia next May. The Lab is designed to support new energy businesses in their launch and growth stages. The lab has a coworking space, community-building events and is dedicated to working with startups, large companies and non-profits alike to create the clean energy future.

Urban forestry is getting its own global forum in November, 2018, in Italy. Watch this fact-filled video to learn more about the importance of trees in our cities. The World Forum on Urban Forests is being promoted by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) with Municipality of Mantova, SISEF (Società Italiana di Selvicoltura ed Ecologia Forestale), Politecnico di Milano, and Stefano Boeri Architetti.

Katapult Future Fest will take place May 14-16, 2018, in Oslo, Norway. The Fest is a three-day experience with speakers, concerts, workshops, and more. The participants are a blend of tech entrepreneurs, futurists, and impact investors focused on creating a responsible future. “Katapult is aiming to address and tackle the challenges our world is facing through new and creative forms of collaborations."

From The Idea Index

After facing the devastation from the Fall, 2017 hurricanes, power loss, and destruction to homes for more than 26,000 residents of Caño Martín Peña, Puerto Rico, are in need of help. Martin Pena Community Land Trust, the runner-up for the 2017 Fuller Challenge, recently launched a fundraising campaign aimed at rebuilding Caño Martín Peña, a flood-prone area of substandard housing. Residents are now working with engineers, architects, and volunteers to rebuild the neighborhood in a way that will reduce their vulnerability and ensure equitable development. The Caño Martín Peña Relief Fund was able to raise more than $55,000 for the residents of the communities. Money is being spent on buying construction materials and replacing furniture and and large appliances for those who have lost everything.

From the Store

A Limited Edition print portfolio of new works was created to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Buckminster Fuller. Published by The Buckminster Fuller Institute in 2015, the portfolio includes ten giclee color prints by artists Mel Chin, Fritz Haeg, Matthew Day Jackson, Helen + Newton Harrison, Maya Lin, Mary Mattingly, Pedro Reyes, Tomas Saraceno, and Stephen Talasnik. The portfolio is available on BFI's online store for a discounted price. All purchases directly support the non-profit institute.

About Trimtab

Trimtab is BFI's monthly email newsletter service, bringing you BFI programming updates and news from around the world related to "humanity's option for success" and comprehensive design solutions.